Chapter 10
Dani's Apartment Building
There were no police cars outside the apartment building this time so Duncan parked the T-Bird directly outside. Dani didn't move she just stared at the building. Duncan put his hand on her shoulder. "Give me your keys, I'll go." Dani continued to stare at the building. "No, I've got to do this.Anyway you won't know what to get... But I could use the company." Her hand went to the door handle; she opened it and stepped out. Going home had never held such fear for her before. Duncan got out and came around to her. She didn't move as he put his arm around her "You sure?"
"Yeah, let's go" Dani felt stronger just knowing that he was with her but as she came to the door of her apartment she hesitated. As Dani took her keys from her bag, her hands started to shake. She couldn't get the key into the lock "Hell!" she exclaimed. Duncan's hand caught hold of hers. "Here let me." He took the keys from her, opened the door, reached inside and found the light switch. The room went from darkness to brightly lit in an instant; they both could see the devastation.
Duncan walked into the room first taking hold of a chair that had been overturned putting back it onto its feet. There was glass and broken china all around the room. The sofa had been slashed and its padding strewn all round the room. He turned to see Dani walking slowly into the room, her eyes wide with horror; she was staring at the word 'Louisa' which was on the far wall. The Detective had told them about it but he had forgotten to mention that it was painted in blood, Maria's blood. "Who would do this?" she said bending down to pick up a photo of her and Maria on holiday and brushed away the broken glass.
"Come let's just get some things and go" Duncan could see that Dani was very upset and he didn't want her to stay here any longer than was necessary. There was always a chance that Cristo would come back. "Which room is yours?" Duncan said looking around. "That one" Dani pointed to the closed door opposite. Walking over to her, Duncan placed a hand on her elbow and guided her towards her bedroom. Dani didn't resist. Thankfully, the bedroom hadn't been touched and closing the door they could leave the horror behind for a while. Duncan opened the wardrobe and found a holdall. Dani just stood looking at the photo in her hands. "OK, you tell me where and what you want to take and I'll pack" Dani looked at Duncan and he noticed that she looked like she hadn't slept for a week. Her face was stained with tears for the second night in a row.
With the packing finished Duncan wished that there was another way out of the bedroom so he didn't have to take her back through all that horror. He decided that he wouldn't let her stop and taking her by the hand led her quickly to the front door. He switched off the light and closed the door. He knew that they would have to go back to check if anything was missing as Detective Morgan had asked but he didn't want to put her through that until she was better able to cope and he knew that there wouldn't be anything missing. This was no robbery.
Duncan threw the holdall into the back of the T-Bird. Turning back he saw Dani staring at the building. He took her hand and guided her into the passenger seat. Dani got in without a word; she was still looking at her apartment building as they pulled away.
Dani's Apartment Building
There were no police cars outside the apartment building this time so Duncan parked the T-Bird directly outside. Dani didn't move she just stared at the building. Duncan put his hand on her shoulder. "Give me your keys, I'll go." Dani continued to stare at the building. "No, I've got to do this.Anyway you won't know what to get... But I could use the company." Her hand went to the door handle; she opened it and stepped out. Going home had never held such fear for her before. Duncan got out and came around to her. She didn't move as he put his arm around her "You sure?"
"Yeah, let's go" Dani felt stronger just knowing that he was with her but as she came to the door of her apartment she hesitated. As Dani took her keys from her bag, her hands started to shake. She couldn't get the key into the lock "Hell!" she exclaimed. Duncan's hand caught hold of hers. "Here let me." He took the keys from her, opened the door, reached inside and found the light switch. The room went from darkness to brightly lit in an instant; they both could see the devastation.
Duncan walked into the room first taking hold of a chair that had been overturned putting back it onto its feet. There was glass and broken china all around the room. The sofa had been slashed and its padding strewn all round the room. He turned to see Dani walking slowly into the room, her eyes wide with horror; she was staring at the word 'Louisa' which was on the far wall. The Detective had told them about it but he had forgotten to mention that it was painted in blood, Maria's blood. "Who would do this?" she said bending down to pick up a photo of her and Maria on holiday and brushed away the broken glass.
"Come let's just get some things and go" Duncan could see that Dani was very upset and he didn't want her to stay here any longer than was necessary. There was always a chance that Cristo would come back. "Which room is yours?" Duncan said looking around. "That one" Dani pointed to the closed door opposite. Walking over to her, Duncan placed a hand on her elbow and guided her towards her bedroom. Dani didn't resist. Thankfully, the bedroom hadn't been touched and closing the door they could leave the horror behind for a while. Duncan opened the wardrobe and found a holdall. Dani just stood looking at the photo in her hands. "OK, you tell me where and what you want to take and I'll pack" Dani looked at Duncan and he noticed that she looked like she hadn't slept for a week. Her face was stained with tears for the second night in a row.
With the packing finished Duncan wished that there was another way out of the bedroom so he didn't have to take her back through all that horror. He decided that he wouldn't let her stop and taking her by the hand led her quickly to the front door. He switched off the light and closed the door. He knew that they would have to go back to check if anything was missing as Detective Morgan had asked but he didn't want to put her through that until she was better able to cope and he knew that there wouldn't be anything missing. This was no robbery.
Duncan threw the holdall into the back of the T-Bird. Turning back he saw Dani staring at the building. He took her hand and guided her into the passenger seat. Dani got in without a word; she was still looking at her apartment building as they pulled away.